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Baked Quinoa Falafel Bites

After successfully baking falafel instead of frying them, it was time to take things further with a twist. This time I used quinoa in place of the chickpeas. The rather unauthorized mixture of nutty quinoa and tahini was nearly authentic in taste in texture, sans chickpeas. Go figure, but it worked perfectly. The lemon tahini sauce I served them with was the bomb. If desired, you can serve them in pita pockets with the sauce.

Thankfully, I rarely dine alone, but on this occasion, I almost wished I did because I wanted to keep them all to myself. Well, that is a bit of an exaggeration, as I always enjoy serving food to my husband and best friend Basil. However, they are really easy to make so surely these are now a frequent addition to the table. I am one of those grazers that likes to snack on various things throughout the day, rather than to eat large meals and these are simply ideal. Certainly, this is a new healthy favorite.

To make the meal vegan friendly, serve with a tomato-based sauce or chutney, or hummus instead of the lemon tahini sauce which contains yogurt.

Baked Quinoa Falafel Bites

Recipe by Lisa Turner
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Published on February 17, 2014

Rinse the quinoa well in a strainer until the water is no longer cloudy. Transfer to a medium saucepan and pour in 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the water is absorbed — about 20 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and let the quinoa cool.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients until well combined.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat an oven to 450°. Shape the quinoa mixture into small balls and transfer to the baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the falafel balls are golden brown and crispy.

To make the sauce, whisk together the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

10 comments:

Is there anything quinoa can't do?! It's one of those precious ingredients that I know my son will always eat. These would be a wonderful after school snack to tide him over 'til dinner. Thanks for the recipe!

Based in London, Ontario, a veteran vegetarian for 23 years serves up a collection of delicious culinary creations from her kitchen, with an emphasis on spicy Indian dishes and whole foods. If you want to know what sensible vegetarians eat, Lisa's Kitchen is the place to be.